Dust in the Wind
by TMNTgrl
Summary: When they died, he was all Don had left. But nothing lasts forever, and this is becoming more and more obvious with each passing day. Oneshot; deathfic. Coin-Flip challenge; specs inside.


_**A/N: Okay, I know I haven't been doing much here lately...or posting more chapters of stuff I should...or posting new stories...**_

**_(cough)_**

**_Anyhow, I haven't been writing and typing as much as I wish I could lately- school, fencing, summer work, and so on. Also, Rogue needs some serious editing; it's just....I dunno. So do its sequels- 2 of them, anyway._**

**_As for this, I wrote it a while ago- a Crazy Limits Coin Flip challenge on Sewersweetsewer. Here's the specs:_**

_Genre: Adventure/Hurt/Comfort_

_Main Character: Donatello_

_POV: 3rd Person_

_Tense: Past_

_OC?: No_

_Title: Dust in the Wind_

_**So yeah. Enjoy.**_

_

* * *

_

Don't hang on. Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.

The thought slid across Don's mind as he listened to his little brother coughing weakly. They both were really getting on in their years; severe arthritis is his knees was making it often painful for Don to walk, and Mikey's cough only got worse by the day.

Leo and Raph had died years and years ago. They went out for some air and dragged one another through the entrance to the lair hours later, both bleeding and bruised, both dying. There was nothing that could be done. The two brothers had looked at one another, clasped hands, smiled, and then died.

Don rubbed Mikey's back gently in an effort to soothe the coughing fit. "Easy, easy. You okay?"

Mikey nodded, taking in several gulps of fresh air. "Uh-huh. Just old and decrepit."

Don managed a small smile at that. "Yeah. I guess so." But in the back of his mind, the same thought came.

_Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky._

Mikey sighed, resting his head on his brother's shoulder. "Donny?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's have one more adventure."

Don looked down at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we're old as shell. Let's have one last adventure together before we go out. Let's travel. Just wander across the country, across the world, wherever. Together."

"Mike . . ."

"Please, Donny? Won't you come with me? _Please_?"

Don sighed. _Nothing lasts forever._ "Yeah. Yeah, I will."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Don agreed.

_Nothing lasts forever . . ._

* * *

"Mike? Are you still up?"

Mikey waved from where he was stretched out on the couch, notepad in hand. Don sat down on the floor next to him. "It's past midnight, little bro."

"Yeah. I know."

"Why are you up so late?"

"I'm planning."

"Planning what?"

"Our adventure."

Don shook his head. "Mike, you can't plan an adventure. It's . . . well, it's an adventure."

"I know . . . but there's places I really wanna see."

"Like?"

"Well . . . mostly just one. Leo once told me about this place in Japan that he heard about that's supposed to be really, really pretty and neat and stuff. I always wanted to see it, ever since he told me. Can we go?"

Don smiled gently. "Okay. We can go. That'll be the last thing we do."

Mikey brightened up at once, tossing aside the notepad. "So what're you still doin' up, Donny? We're going on an adventure; we don't need any plans. We're just gonna wander wherever our legs take us. Right?"

"Right." Don patted Mikey's shoulder lightly. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Mikey nodded happily and pulled a pillow onto his plastron, quite content to sleep on the couch.

* * *

"Rise and shine, Donny! It's adventure time!"

"Huh . . . ? Okay, okay, I'm up; stop shaking me! Can I at least have my coffee first?"

"Aw, okay. I need breakfast anyway. Come on, let's have those bagels!"

"Bagels . . . ?" Don yawned and ambled into the kitchen, ignoring Mikey tugging at his arm. "I'm up, I'm up, jeez!"

Mikey pouted. "You better not be like this every morning."

Don glanced at the clock as he made his coffee. "It's seven, Mikey. I don't plan on getting up at seven every day while we're on an adventure."

Mikey shrugged. "Neither do I." He took a hearty bite of his bagel.

After they ate, Don threw several things in his workbag. Mikey threw together a backpack of his own.

And they set off.

They had no heading. They just picked a direction and headed off. When they found somewhere they liked, they'd stop to explore for as long as they wished, and then moved on.

* * *

"Ah!" Mikey sighed. "The Grand Canyon at sunset! What a _sight_! Whoo!"

Don laughed.

"C'mon, let's get a better look!" Mikey tugged on his sibling's arm.

"Whoa, slow down," Don warned, pulling his limb free. "Don't get too close to the edge."

Mikey ignored him and dropped to his knees at the edge of the canyon. "Wow. _Wow_. It's _awesome_ looking down there, Donny!"

Don gasped. "Mikey, be careful! Don't do that!" he cried as his brother leaned over the sheer drop. He grabbed Mikey's shoulder.

Mikey gave a startled shriek and spun around. "W-wah! Don't startle me like tha- ah- aah!" He flailed his arms wildly as he felt himself falling backwards. "Yikes!"

"_Mikey_!" Don barely managed to catch hold of Mikey's hand; Mikey grabbed onto the cliff for dear life with the other.

"Okay!" Mikey said. "This wasn't what I had planned to do! A little help here, bro?"

"I'm working on it!" Don could feel his heart pounding with fast-growing panic. _I-I can't let him die! He's all I have left!_ "Hold on!"

"Like I have a choice."

Don pulled with all of his strength; Mikey planted his feet against the sheer cliff face to support some of his weight. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to get one knee onto solid ground. "Ah! Got it!"

Don didn't let go until they were a good, safe distance away from the canyon. "Whoo," Mikey panted. "Think I'll sleep over here tonight. I roll over way too much to get any closer." He grinned up at the sky. "Talk about an adrenaline rush. Maybe tomorrow we should go cliff-diving, eh?"

Don closed his eyes and didn't answer. _I almost lost him_, he thought. _That was so stupid of me to even think of letting him get that close! I . . . I have to take better care of him . . ._

* * *

They kept on, but Don no longer felt excited. Instead, he felt stressed from trying to watch his brother's every move and keep him safe at every second.

Mikey could tell. It was easy to see through Don's fake smiles and forced laughs. He confronted his sibling one evening.

"Donny?"

"Huh?"

"Are you . . . are you having fun?"

"Sure."

Mikey lowered his eyes. "You don't act like you are."

Don cringed inwardly. He wasn't sure what to say.

"I mean . . . I know you're worried and all," Mikey went on. "I know I kinda scared you when I tried to fall down the Grand Canyon. But it was one accident, bro. Life goes on. I'm alive. You're alive."

"But for how long?" Don whispered.

Mikey slapped him.

"Ow! Mikey, what was that for?"

"You know what, Donny! _Duh_! If there's anyone who should be watching someone's every move, it's me watching you. You're the one with super bad arthritis."

Again, Don was unsure of what to say.

Mikey sighed. "Donny . . . let's just go home."

"What . . . ?"

Mikey shrugged. "You aren't having any fun; there's no point. The whole purpose was so we could go out and have fun together. You aren't having fun, so we may as well just go home."

Anyone could have heard the disappointment that laced Mikey's quiet tone. Don shook his head. "No, Mikey, that isn't fair. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your enjoyment because of me."

"But I can't enjoy this if you aren't enjoying it too, Donny! Look, I don't mind you keeping an eye on me; you always have and I'm keeping an eye on you too. But I'm not watching every move you make. I know you're capable of taking care of yourself."

Don sighed. "And I know you're capable of the same. I-I'm really sorry. I'm just . . ."

"Worried and scared you're gonna lose me and blah, blah, blah. I know. Promise you'll have fun and stop watching over me like I'm four?"

Don grinned weakly. "Promise."

* * *

"Wow," Mikey breathed. "It . . . it _is_ real . . ."

They had reached Japan two days ago, and Don had allowed Mikey to lead him through the mountains- a worrisome choice, considering that Mikey didn't know where the glade was.

But he had insisted that something was leading him. Something in the crunch of the snow, the soft brush of the wind.

"Leo would have loved this place," Mikey whispered, settling down against the single cherry blossom tree in the center of the glade. "Raph, too, even though he never would have admitted it."

Don sighed, sinking down next to his brother. "They should be here with us," he murmured. "They should _be_ here!"

Mikey tilted his head. "Don-" he started.

"Don't you get it?" Don cried. "I could have saved them! I _should_ have saved them- at least one of them! But I _didn't_! I froze up and I just watched them _die_! I stood there and watched the life bleed out of them- both of them!"

"_Donny_." Mikey's tone was gentle. "There's no way you could have saved both of them. And allowing one to live with the pain of losing the other would have hurt him more than any physical wounds. Y'know, I bet . . . I bet they got ambushed out there and they were back-to-back the whole time, taking hits for each other and each giving the other everything they had. And they beat that ambush, and then they dragged each other home. Neither would leave the other behind, even if it meant they'd both die out in that cold, wet sewer. They're still watching over us, Donny. I'm sure they are."

A gentle puff of wind caressed both of their bodies, followed by another. "See?" Mikey whispered. "They're trying to tell you, bro. They forgive you."

Don said nothing more as he and his brother watched the sunset. He took out his sleeping bag and went to bed without a word. Mikey stayed awake, silently holding his head in his hands. He felt a brush of wind.

"I _know_ that," he said. "But I don't think he believes it, too."

Another brush. "He won't listen to me!" Mikey said, his voice almost an indignant whine. "He'd have to hear it from you- both of you."

A gentler brush. "I know," Mikey whispered. "I wish you could have been here to see this. It's amazing."

A harder brush. Mikey grinned faintly. "Yeah, I could. But I think that'll just upset him."

Brush. "You tell him that. I'm exhausting my resources as it is."

"M-Mikey?"

"Eh?"

Don stared up at him through weary, bloodshot eyes. "Who are you talking to?"

Mikey blinked slowly, realizing how crazy he must appear- talking to the wind of all things. "Er . . . a couple of old friends."

Don sighed and laid his head back down. "Hey," Mikey murmured. "Hey, bro, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"You know why," Don whispered. "I told you."

"Don't you understand?" Mikey asked. "Don't you believe they're watching over you?"

Silence.

Don slowly shook his head. "Why should they?"

"Oh, bro . . ." Mikey pulled Don into a sitting position and hugged him tightly. "They're watching over you because they're your brothers, Donny. They love you for who you are, not what you do. Nothing will ever change that."

"There's no proof," Don choked out around his soft sobs. "There's never gonna be proof. I . . . I-I c-can't . . ." He broke down and said nothing more.

_Show him_, Mikey silently pleaded. _Please, show him you're still here. He needs you so much. Show him you'll always care._

Don's head snapped up. "D-did you hear that?"

Mikey closed his eyes, listening closely. He could feel the gentlest of breezes, and he heard an almost inaudible rustle.

_We forgive you. We're watching over you. Nothing has changed. We still love you both._

The soft rustling murmur continued for several more minutes. Mikey could feel Don shaking in his arms. "It's okay," he soothed. "It's okay; there's nothing to be scared of. Our brothers will never hurt us. Everything's okay."

The breeze died away, and the rustle faded to silence. "Mikey," Don gasped, "a-am I hallucinating, or was that really-?"

Frightened brown eyes met smiling blue eyes. "I told you," Mikey whispered. "They're watching over us. They never resented you; they had no reason to even think of doing so."

At long last, Don smiled- a real, full, natural smile. Mikey laughed. Don squeezed him in a tight hug. "'Kay," Mikey said, "now can we go to sleep and stay asleep and not wake up sobbing? I'm _tired_."

"Yeah," Don murmured. "Yeah, we can." _I can_, he thought. _I _can.

In the middle of the night, Mikey woke up coughing. Don was wide awake immediately, patting his sibling's back in an effort to soothe the painful-sounding hacks.

"Shell," Mikey gasped out between coughs. "Not . . . cool."

"What?" Don asked. "What's wrong?" He anxiously grabbed a flashlight.

Mikey only continued to cough. Don gasped in dismay when he saw the drops of blood splattered on the ground. "Oh, no . . ."

Mikey nodded. "Eew," he panted when he caught his breath. "I really hate that taste."

Don frowned. "Coughing up blood is never a good sign, especially when you've had a chronic cough for this long."

"Duh." Mikey winced and pressed a hand to his chest. "Maybe we should head home." His voice was soft and slightly scared.

Don gently pulled him to his feet. "Can you make it? It's a long ways."

Mikey sucked in a deep, painful breath. "Yeah. I'll make it." He closed his eyes. "They're there. Spiritually. They're with us. They'll make sure we get home."

Don, too, closed his eyes. He sensed a familiar, encouraging presence, and felt bravery and confidence flow into his limbs. He gave a silent nod and mouthed, 'I'll get him home'.

"Come on, little bro." Don wrapped his hand under Mikey's arm and helped him up. Mikey tottered slightly, leaning on his sibling for support. "Let's go home," Don murmured. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. I won't let you down."

"Course you won't," Mikey said sleepily. "M'not scared . . . just . . . tired . . ."

Of course Don felt afraid. Who wouldn't? But he no longer felt petrified by the thought of loss. He no longer felt small and alone. He no longer carried such guilt for his siblings' deaths.

He knew by the soft breaths of wind that they were there alongside him.

* * *

**_A/N: Fanfiction is screwing with me, today....so if this comes up looking like a bomb went off, I apologize and I'll try to fix it ASAP. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!_**


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